Key-ring holder



F. CRAWFORD.

KEY RING HOLDER. APPLICATION FVILED AUG.3I, 1921.

1,432,016. Patented 061;. 17, 1922.

Patented Get. 17, 1922.

PATENT' FRED CRAWFORD, OF SI. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

KEY-RING HOLDER.

Application filed August 31, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED Cmwronn, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Key-Ring Holders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in key ring holders, and has for an object to provide a holder which is a distinct and practical improvement to overcome certain important practical objections to, and defects in, key ring hooks of the type which prevents the key ring from becoming detached from the hook in ordinary usage.

' A further object of the invention is to provide a key ring holder which will positively grip on a garment or belt to prevent the device from being accidentally removed therefrom.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a key ring hook which can be quickly attached or detached from a garment, such as trousers, or a belt, simple in construction and highly efficient for the purposes intended,

\Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described and finally pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like characters of reference denote similar parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1, is a perspective view of a key ring holder constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2', is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3, is a vertical sectional view of the key ring holder.

Fig. 4, is a plan view of the blank.

In carrying out the aim of my invention, I employ a single strip of suitable spring metal which may be finished in any suitable manner.

The strip is bent, as shown, to comprise a lower body portion 1, a normally upturned key ring hook 2, a spring guard or tongue 3, an upper body portion 4:, a downturned garment hook 5, a spring guard or tongue 6 and a garment or belt engaging tang or projection 7, which also serves as a stop when the holder is attached to a belt.

Serial No. 497,121.

The spring guard or tongue 3 is punched from the medial portion of the lower body portion 1, as shown in Fig. 1, and its lower free extremity bears outwardly against the inner face of the ring hook2 to prevent the accidental removal of. the key ring 8 in ordinary usage. The forming of the tongue or guard 3 in this manner leaves an elongated openlng 9 in the lower body portion 1, but this opening serves no function.

The spring tongue or guard 6 is punched from the medial portion of the upper body portion 4, as shown, and its lower end is bent or curved outwardly, as at 10 to facilitate the operation of removing the key ring holder from a garment, or belt. The lower face of the tang 7 is beveled, as at 11, to permit the holder to be readily attached to a garment, or belt without manipulating the tongue 6, as is manifest. The free end of the tang 7 normally engages the inner face of the down turned hook 5, as shown in Fig. 2. The lower end of the hook 5 is preferably bent or curved outwardly a little to facilitate the application of the hook to a garment or belt.

It will be observed that the spring tongue 6 normally lies flush with the upper body -l of the ring holder, excepting the lower free end 10 which is curved outwardly from the outer face thereof. Itwill be noticed that the lower free end of the spring tongue 6 lies opposite the lower free end of the garment hook 5 and adjacent the upper fixed end of the spring tongue 3.

The key ring hook is attached to a garment or belt by forcing the upper hook 5 downwardly thereby permitting the garment or belt to lie between the hook body 5 and the upper body portion l of the key ring hook. As the garment lies between said two hook members, the tang 7 presses into the garment material thus preventing the holder from being removed upwardly without first withdrawing the tang 7 by pulling outward upon the lower free end of the spring tongue 6, as as manifest.

When the holder is applied to a belt, shown in Fig. 3, the upper face of the tang 7 will engage the lower edge of the belt and act as a stop toprevent the accidental removal of the holder from the belt. The holder can be easily removed from the belt, by manipulating the spring tongue 6, so as to withdraw the tang 7 from contact with the inner face of the hook 5 sufficient to permit the hook to be lifted up from the belt and removed therefrom in a natural way.

The tang 7 is preferably a separate element from the strip comprising the holder and suitably fixed to the inner face of the tongue 6, although it may be formed as an integral part thereof if found practical to do so. a

The key ring 8 is attached to the hook 2 in the usual well known manner by passing between the tongue 3 and hook 2 in being applied to the hook and when being removed therefrom.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that I provide a key ring holder, which when once attached to the upper edge of a' garment, or to a belt, that it is safely held t iere until manually removed.

The many advantages of the herein described invention will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

I do not wish to be understood as having limited myself to the exact details of construction shown and described, but desire to have it understood that the invention I have shown in the drawings is merely illustrative, as it is'manifest that various minor changes may be made in the exact construe tion and particular arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, hence I reserve the right to make any such changes, or modifications as may fairly fall within the scope of-the appended claims when fairly construed.

What I claim is:

1. A key ring holder consisting of a strip of spring material comprising an upright body portion, an upturned key ring hook at the bottom of said upright body portion, a spring tongue punched from the lower half of said upright body portion and having its lower free extremity engaging the inner face of said key ring hook, a downwardly turned garment hook at the upper end of the upright body portion and having its lower free end spaced from.the upright body portion, a spring tongue punched from the upper half of said upright body portion and having its lower free end bent outwardly to provide a finger grip, and a rearwardly directed tang fixed to the inner face of said latter spring tongue adapted to press into the garment goods to prevent accidental removal of the device therefrom.

2. A key ring holder embodying an upright body portion, an upwardly directed key ring hook, a spring tongue for said hook, a downwardly directed garment hook, a downwardly directed spring tongue punched from the upright body portion opposite the garment hook and means directed rearwardly toward the garment hook from the inner face of the spring tongue to prevent accidentalremoval of the holder from the article to which it is'attached.

A safety key ring holder for attachment to a garment or a belt embodying a main body portion, an upwardly directed key ring hook extending from the lower end of said main body portion, a spring tongue for said hook punched from the main body portion, a downwardly directed hook extending from the upper end of said main body portion adapted to receive a garment or belt, an upper spring tongue punched from the main body portion, a tang directed rearwardly from the inner face of the upper spring tongue from a point near the free end of said tongue for engaging the article to which the holder is. applied to prevent it from accidental removal and means formed at the lower end of said upper spring tongue for manipulating said spring tongue to retract the tang and permit quick iemoval of the holder from the article it is attached to.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to the specification.

FRED CRAWFORD. 

